Was wondering how the ReThink program is going at The Gathering? What is the age group typically that comes? What has been their church experience before coming to you?

Blessings on you and yours,

Phillip McDowell
Jacksonville, FL

Jesus told the rich young ruler that to follow Him, he had to give up everything…

From The Message-Matthew 19: 16-26

16Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.”

18-19The man asked, “What in particular?”

Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.”

20The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?”

21″If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.”

22That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crest-fallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.

23-24As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.”

25The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?”

26Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

I remember the old hymn: “I surrender all, I surrender all…”

Everything-I believe “everything” is relative. Because just when I think I’ve given up “everything” The Lord will show me something else I hold dear-more dear than Him. And that cuts both ways. It hurts that it was there in the first place. But even worse, when I allow Him, He shows me, that like the rich young ruler, I might not want to surrender that which I hold so close. Wow.

For me it’s not just material posessions we need to surrender-they may even be the easiest! But it’s: Which person?—Which activity?—What ministry?—What hurt?—What emotion?

But as we let go of the the inferior kingdom of this world, which is so very appealing to our flesh, we go deeper. And we enter The Kingdom of God where there’s real life…

It’s a process, though. One which we can’t do ourselves. It’s Christ that does it. (See v. 26) We just give Him permission to start messing up our comfortable little world!

Is it easy? Painless? No.

But is it worth it? Oh, yes.